The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-08-20

black BODY n long tail to it, N tn
painter wuz switehin' it Jest like a
big cat. Abe he jest gritted his
teeth n sided up to tn corner O. tn
house where one O. tn logs stuck out
where it wuzn't chopped off when they
built it, N laid tn old gun across it n
cooked it N begun ter take aim. |
creep up ahind him N held my breath.
Tn dogs they'd got lots worse when
they saw US come out t help 'em, n
bounced round like they wuz iniun-rub-
Der. l didn't know till father told me
afterwards tibet them dogs did tibet way
cause they wuz so sharp t they knowed
eff they didn't the painter hoped onto
ZEN too quick, n they he'd sense enough
t know that wasn't what they wanted
jest then. Well, Abe he took a long
sight, waz holdin' my breath, N
jest bout tn time I'd begun to think
he wuzn't ever goin' ter shoot N I'd
never get my breath back, bang she
went! Down come somethin' out o.
tn tree, whack! ON the ground, no ten
feet away from us, n fore l could bat
my eyes tn two dogs ez onto it, N
they waz the biggest yeowlin', n
growlin', N spittin', n scratchin', N
fghtin' you ever heard n your born
days. 1t looked like the whole clear
in was full O. painter N dogs, N hair,
II fur, n claws. Then the painter give
one big screech', N turned over n
kicked, N lay still, N the dogs come
over where we wuz, worse scared N we
thought they'd be, lickin' their chaps
n all bloody n muddy N tired, but
prouder'n peacocks That painter
measured more'n nine feet, tail n all,
n eff we'd seen him in daylight we'd
bin willin' t told him he was welcome
to all tn fresh pork he wanted, he wuz
tibet savage 18th his long teeth n wild
eyes, Abe he'd hit him in tn body
near tn heart N the bullet he'd gone
on n broke his backbone, so when he
went t spring he jest tumbled, n
when he went t fight he only he'd his
front quarters ter home, so to speak,
n the dogs got away 18th him. Father
wuz awful surprised when he got
home EN- saw it, n sed we didn't
know what risk we run r we'd never
bin fools enough t. try it, He wuz
awful proud NV us, tho ugh, but he
didn't say so, N we wuz so stuck up
over it ourselves t we didn't pay no
attention t shortcomin' thet way fer
er long time"
The children were vastly interested,
and as soon as they got their breath
they began expressing their admira-
ton. When Polly became certain that
she was in no immediate danger from
panthers she showed an appreciation
for more stories.
Odd you ever have Indians come to
visit you, grandpap" she said,
Lots Nv 'em, off N on, Polly. They
wuz all peaceable round there by that
time; they'd all been whipped till they
WIZ good. Sides, they didn't live
n, 4r us, but out to'ards Sandusky N
Detroit and them places, n jist cum
round where we lived t be kinder So
ciable like, l guess, n see # they cud
find emmy thin better'n they he'd t.
home. Used t ask fer vittles iist like
tn tramps do now, n specially for
whisky. Injuns like t. git drunk bet
tern emmy body It ever lived, do sup
pose. They don't drink because they
like whisky, but cause it'll make 'em
drunk. One O. tn first Injuns ever
see wuz named Running Wolf, N he
got well acquainted comm roun Sc
much till tn folks used ter call
m Billy, cause he wuz so good
natured, n then they called 'em Billy
Wolf. First time he wuz at our house
reckin I'll never forgit. 1t 'uz in tn
fall, n tn same old sow told We bout
had six young pigs. She waz tn only
sow n all that settlement, N father
took sight O care NV her. They wuz
lots o. acorns in tn woods n father'd
turn her out N set IS boys t watch her
SOS she wouldn't run of. One day
me n Abe w keepin' an eye on tn old
sow out piece from tn house by tn
side o the path in tn woods-hadn't
no real roads, We know. All to once
we saw N Injun comm along tn path.
We hid; didn't know much about In
juns, but wuzn't goin' t take emmy
chances, specially afore we wuz inter
duced. He come along 'thout seem
us or tn old SOW either, but all to once
one O. tn little pigs come swoopin
down tn path N met tn Injun n
didn't have no more sense n t. stop N
look up in his face. Tn Injun stopped,
too, N looked s if he d meta stranger
Purity soon he seemed t make up his
mind 'twus young 'possum r some
thin o tibet kind-he'd never heard Nv
a pig in all his life-'n he'd catch